Gaunt Equatorial Telescope Stand- circa 1877

Back when Adam was still a boy and Eve hadn't eaten any apples telescope mounts were built to last.
This is my newly acquired and just completed recommissioning of an equatorial mount. It was designed by Mr Robert Ellery, Astronomer to the Governor of the State of Victoria and was built by Mr Thomas Gaunt, Optician and Jeweller of Bourke Street, Melbourne, Australia. It was first built in 1877 and in production in this form until 1885.

The mount comes with a purpose built cast iron pier and together they weigh about 250 lbs.

I today completed the restoration of the mount and hope to have the pier complete this weekend.

Initially it will support my Istar At150 F10 Achromat refractor, eventually I will be building a 127mm (5") F15 refractor for this mount.

I was thrilled to find 40 lbs of brass and bronze under the many layers of black paint.

It's fortunate that it arrived into some capable hands. <g>What does it have for bearings?

dan k.

Very 1800s as far as bearings go Dan, the axles are cast iron, machined quite fine, the bearing is a bronze bushing pressed into a brass sleeve threaded on the outside which then screws into the brass carrier. Even after 135 years there is almost no freeplay.

Hello and thanks for all the responses, the mount restoration is now complete and sits on her newly restored pier with my 'Grab and Go' refractor.

The mount had been for sale for a long time in Australia, I was just lucky to have been able to secure it (only 3 weeks ago today) all the restoration has been done in 3 weeks, the benefits of spare time !!!
At the risk of repeating myself (pic already posted in 'refractors') here is the finished product, although some further work will follow to get the counterweights right etc.

"when I say Grab and Go, I mean get 4 of your best mates to help you, this combination weighs in excess of 300 lbs

Thanks Thomas and Daren, I am thrilled with the way it has turned out.

I have just finished setting up the counterweights, a tricky thing as the 135 year old bearings are so smooth even a slight focus adjustment has the OTA moving. I found the original cast iron one was far too heavy for the Istar so decided instead to use cast iron weight plates ( 2x5kg+1x2.5kg) and the end result was perfect balance.

The pier is the original 1877 cast iron monster. Cast in a single piece the pier consists of the triangular base (1" thick), the 3 'vanes' (1/2" at the outside and 1.5" where they join each other) and the top plate (3/4")

Weight of the pier alone is 140 lbs, the total weight with head, counterweights and scope is 300 lbs.

Beautiful piece of restoration.

Hopefully the pier and mount will be used in a permanent location such as an observatory.

Thanks, I plan to build an observatory next year.

I was thinking buying used was a way to save money...

I would hate to think how much it would cost to make this mount today ...its all hand made with 35 lbs of brass and bronze components, even the bolts are handmade.

I like the "essential character" of old mounts like this one. They are streamlined to basic function -- reminding us what is really most important for observing. Despite the brevity, a lot of effort was made to accommodate the functionality that provided the greatest increment of utility.